


Children and Politics

by Muffinatrix



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Discussion of Pregnancy, F/M, Implied references to sexual relations and specific body parts, Multi, Polyamory solves everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22807513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muffinatrix/pseuds/Muffinatrix
Summary: Secret lovers meet to chat over tea.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Kudos: 13





	Children and Politics

**Author's Note:**

> **[Read it to me - Audio version](https://anonfile.com/B192R4i4oc/Children_and_Politics_ogg) **

Another day of hard work. Firelord Zuko hates dancing, but if he wants to push his people's culture toward more freedom of expression, then he needs to at least learn some partner dances to perform with Mai. Tonight, he welcomes his bedchamber as a place of solace and solitude. That is until an unexpected knock on the door.

He probably would not have noticed it if not for his intense warrior’s training. The knock was unusually soft, as if whoever lies on the other side didn’t want it to be heard. He readies his hand in position for a fire dagger and opens the door with caution.

Zuko sees before him a hooded figure standing passively, clearly not looking for a fight. Before he can ask why this person is here, he looks under the hood and notices a pair of distinctive hair loops. “Katara!” His surprise and excitement made him louder than he intended, but before he can admonish himself, she rushes him with a hug. “I’m so happy to see you.” He holds her tight in return. “I wasn’t expecting you until the day after tomorrow.” She breaks away and holds his right cheek. “The tide was on our side this time.” The two lean in for a kiss, a long kiss to make up for their time apart.

When Zuko opens his eyes, he notices that the door is still open. “Uh, let me make you some tea.” He closes the door softly, and then sends precision firebolts at some candles around the room. “How did you get past the guards?” She reaches into her robe, removes a jagged red object with a silvery trim, and drops it beside him on the same table where his tea resides. “I borrowed one of Mai’s knives. None of the guards wanted to look me in the eye.” Zuko laughs while pouring the water. “Clever as always… She didn’t, uh, attack you though?” Katara shrugs. “She just said ‘fine.’ I don’t know what was behind it.” She pulls out a chair and sits down. “That woman is hard to read.”

Zuko heats the teacup in his hand and places it on Katara’s side of the table before making his own. He had an urge to pull out her chair for her, but he remembers how that went last time. “So how’s that restoration thing going?” She stirs her tea with a hovering finger. “Oh, it’s wonderful! There’s waterbenders in the south again...” Zuko sits down opposite Katara and stares at her, smiling. “... and I’m teaching them everything I know about southern water style.” Zuko holds out his teacup as if making a toast. “The world is healing.” They each take a long sip together.

Katara looks down at her drink. “To be honest, I didn’t just come here to catch up. There’s something I need to talk to you about.” Zuko puts a hand out on the table. “Of course. You know, anything.” Katara doesn’t take his hand. “I’ve been thinking about where I see myself in the future, and, well…” She sets her tea down as her hands start to tremble. “... Zuko, do you…” She works up the nerve to look him in the eye. “... want kids?”

Zuko blinks at her a few times. “Children… wow. That’s not what I, uh... I always saw you as more of a warrior.” Katara looks down again. “I am, but most of the world is at peace right now. It’s given me time to realize there’s one thing that’s more important to me.” She raises an eyebrow at her lover. “You didn’t answer the question.”

Zuko puts a hand to his chin. “My advisors do keep telling me my position as Firelord would be more secure if I had an heir.” Katara’s voice starts to reflect frustration. “Zuko, put down your Firelord crown for a second and answer me honestly.” Her voice suddenly loses its confidence again. “Do you want to be a father?”

He stands up and walks toward his bed, to stare at a portrait of his mother on the nightstand. “But I AM the Firelord. My decisions have to take that into account.” He turns to face Katara again. “If word got out, and it would, that the Firelord is pregnant with a water tribe baby... the mess that would make?” He shakes his head. “It would make the New Ozai Society look like a humble petition.”

Katara shrinks into her seat. She hasn’t seen Zuko be this cold and calculating since he was hunting the Avatar. “I guess it was selfish of me to ask.” Zuko sits at the foot of his bed. “It’s okay to be selfish sometimes.” He ponders intensely at the floor, while his lover also sits in silence. Once he has his thoughts together, he finally speaks up. “I can’t expect you to see me in secret and not also live your own life.”

Katara stands up to get closer, leaving her tea. “Zuko, for the hundredth time, you are worthy of love.” She leans down to hold his cheek, this time on the scarred side. “I’m not leaving you.” He places his hand over hers. “I’m not asking you to.” He brings her hand down to kiss it. “You kissing Aang on my coronation day didn’t ruin us. It just showed me even more how amazing and selfless and what a big heart you have. This won’t ruin us either.”

She looks away, remembering that day. “Yeah, I… still regret that.” Zuko cringes at his own words. “Sorry.” He lightly tugs her hand to get her attention back. “But you need this.” He places two hands around hers. “And I don’t want to be the one holding you back.” He punctuates the statement by letting go of her hand. “As for my heir, I’ve been considering adoption.”

Katara gives her lover a warm smile. “That’s very noble.” She sits down next to him at the foot of the bed. “But, if not you, then who? It’s not just a matter of finding somebody willing. It would have to be someone I trust a lot.” She holds her hands up to mime, though she’s not really sure what shapes to make. “And, you know… compatible.”

Zuko puts his hands behind him and leans back to think at the ceiling. “How’s Toph these days?”

Katara’s eyes go wide. “Eugch! Why is that the first name you think of!?” Zuko sits up again. "Well, unless you have more friends I don't know about, there's Aang, that wouldn't work; you obviously can't do anything with your own brother; I guess if by some miracle they're both okay it, there's that girl Sokka's with." Katara fills in the detail. "Suki. And wait, what's the problem with Aang?" Zuko looks at her with confusion. "You know, he's not… that word you said… compatible." She shoots him a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

Zuko's eyes dart around while he checks his memory. "I… I guess not." Katara explains matter-of-factly. "After that battle in the crystal catacombs…" Zuko winces and she remembers what part he played. "... maybe that's not your favorite day to remember. The point is, I was the one who kept him clean and changed his bandages."

Zuko nods silently a few times. "Huh. So, Aang then…" Katara shakes her head. "It doesn't matter though. I'm sure he secretly hates my guts after I ripped his heart out." He puts a hand on her thigh, though she doesn't bat an eye at it because she can tell it's entirely friendly. "I'm not convinced." She replies with a dismissive face. "Think about it. He's already collected, what, a dozen air acolytes? How many of them do you think are Avatar groupies?" Katara shrugs and answers the rhetorical question. "Eleven." Zuko chuckles. "And yet he's famously chaste and unpartnered. People are starting to think vows of celibacy are an air nomad thing." Zuko leans in close to his lover's face. "I think if he's keeping anything secret, it's that he's still pining for you."

Katara is hesitant, but convinced. "I guess I'll have to talk to him to be sure." She puts a hand on Zuko's left cheek again. "But today is for us." The conversation concludes with a kiss.


End file.
